Tag: philosophical

• The Light You Already Got

  

  A bluesy folk tale about a man who burned for a thousand years and a girl who smiled just once—and how they both found the same light. This song weaves an ancient Buddhist paradox into American roots music tradition. It’s the story of Strong-Heart, who gave everything—even setting himself ablaze for centuries—trying to reach enlightenment…

  William Altig

  October 14, 2025

  Chapter 10, music, Parables, The Great Teachings of the Lotus of the True Law

  #interfaith, #Truth, 1960s folk revival, 3am song, accessible wisdom, acoustic, acoustic blues, ageless wisdom, aha moment, ahead of time, alan watts blues, album track, all paths one, already enough, already home, alt folk, American primitive, american zen, Americana, americana archive, amness, analog, analog warmth, artisan, as above so below, attention, authentic, authentic emotion, authentic seeking, authentic voice, awakening, awareness, back to the land mysticism, balanced path, bare, based on ancient teaching, basic, be here now folk, beat zen, beatnik blues, beautiful mess, before and after the same, being itself, being not doing, bespoke, bluegrass adjacent, Blues, both and, both and neither, boundaried yes, breath, Buddha-nature, buddhist americana, buddhist folk, bus stop satori, call and response, Campfire Song, can’t shake it, canonical, chop wood carry water folk, classic, clear, coal miner’s daughter adjacent, coffee and contemplation, commune folk, compassionate refusal, Conscious Lyrics, Conscious Music, consciousness, Contemplative, core, country blues, craftsman, creative, cross cultural wisdom, custom, daily bread, dark night of the soul, dawn breaking, deep, deep cut, deep lyrics, delta blues, democratic dharma, depression era sound, dharma folk, dialectic folk, different rivers same ocean, direct, distinctive, DIY mysticism, documentary worthy, dust bowl folk, ear worm, earned wisdom, Earnest, East meets West, echo, effortless effort, effortless path, empty highway, endurance, Enlightenment, esoteric folk, essence, essential, eternal now, eternal return, everyday enlightenment, everyday sacred, existence, existential folk, exposed, extreme and simple, faith and effort, fermata, field recording adjacent, film music adjacent, fingerstyle guitar, fire and smile, Folk, Folk Blues, folk ecology, folk philosophy, folk religion, folk renaissance, folk tale, for sustained listening, fractals in folk, fresh, front porch blues, front porch sessions, fundamental, gentle force, genuine, glorious imperfection, golden mean, goldilocks dharma, good news folk, gospel blues, grace not works, grassroots spirituality, grocery store kensho, handmade, handmade holiness, Harmonica, Haunting, headphone music, heart, Heartfelt, hegelian blues, here, hidden wisdom, high and low, hippie trail, hold, holographic universe, holy text blues, honest, honest doubt, human, human and holy, hummable, I and thou, imaginative, imperfect, important, indie-folk, individual universal, inherent worth, inner light, inner outer, innovative, instant enlightenment, intelligent, intentional community music, isness, jack kerouac dharma blues, journey not destination, joyful noise, just as you are, just right folk, keeping it real, ken burns folk, kind rebellion, kitchen recording, kitchen sink spirituality, kitchen table folk, knower and known, koan blues, late night, laundromat liberation, legend reimagined, less is more, library of congress, literate, lived experience, lo fi, long drive music, long haul, Lotus Sutra, loving resistance, lyrical, many doors one room, marathon not sprint, meaningful, meditation music, memorable, microcosm macrocosm, middle way, Mindfulness, moderation, Modern Folk, mountain and valley, mountain mysticism, mountain song, mundane divine, mystery tradition, myth retold, naked, narrative song, neo traditional, new, new sincerity, Nichiren, no BS, no irony, no original sin, non dual folk, non striving, not a single, not too tight not too loose, nothing special, noticing, now, old soul music, old tale new telling, old time music, one day at a time, one of a kind, One Vehicle, open, open road, ordinary mind, original, original blessing, parable, paradox song, parking lot awakening, Patience, pause, peaceful power, pema chodron folk, people’s Buddhism, Perennial Philosophy, perseverance, personal political, philosophical, philosophical blues, philosophical folk, piedmont blues, pilgrimage song, plain, plain speech dharma, Poetic, porch music, post ironic, prairie dharma, presence, process not product, profound, prophetic, protest adjacent, question and answer, quiet strength, ram dass adjacent, Raw, real, real faith, real feeling, real talk, reality, recognition, redemption song, relaxed intensity, remembering, resonance, rest, reverberation, riddle song, room tone, roots music, roots revival, sacred and profane, sacred music, sacred story, scripture folk, seer and seen, self and other, Self-realization, separate waves one water, serious, significant, silence, simple, simple living, sincere, singable, Singer-Songwriter, Skillful Means, slow blues, slow burn, smart, smithsonian folkways, social consciousness, soft revolution, Soul, Soundtrack, space, spirit, spiritual americana, Spiritual Music, standard, statement and reply, stays with you, Storytelling, straight up, straightforward, stripped down, stuck in your head, subject object, substantial, suchness, sudden vs gradual, sustain, sustainable practice, sutra song, systems thinking, taking out trash dharma, talking blues, tape hiss, tathata, temperance, tender no, testimony, thesis antithesis synthesis, thich nhat hanh acoustic, this, this moment only, thoughtful, thus, Timeless, timeless present, traditional folk, train song adjacent, true sound, true story, trying not trying, undefended, unique, unity consciousness, universal spirituality, universal truth, vintage sound, visionary, voluntary simplicity, vulnerable, waking up, walking music, warm, washing dishes blues, weighty, whistle while you work, wisdom traditions, witness, witness and witnessed, wordsmith, working class mysticism, wu wei folk, you are enough, zen and the art of folk music, zen blues

• The Fisherman’s Net

  

  In “The Fisherman’s Net,” a riverbank showdown unfolds: a fisherman mends his craft while a stranger urges a wild, reckless cast. This bluesy folk tune threads free will through skillful hands, with a rolling melody and soulful grit. It’s a tale of bending with the current—because the river rewards those who listen. Ideal for a…

  William Altig

  March 9, 2025

  music

  acoustic, Folk, free will, harmonica vibes, indie folk, Mellow, philosophical, river song, roots music, Singer-Songwriter, Skillful Means, Soulful, Storytelling

• Karma

  

  A soul-stirring blend of modern culture and ancient wisdom, this song explores themes of karma, Dharma, and spiritual awakening. The lyrics are poetic. They balance humor, introspection, and raw truth. It reflects on the trials of life and the search for enlightenment. There is beauty found in both effort and emptiness. Its fusion of folksy…

  William Altig

  December 18, 2024

  music

  awakening, Blues, books, contemporary culture, Dharma, Eightfold Path, Folk, fusion music, hip-hop fusion, Inspiration, introspective, karma, Meditation, Mindfulness, modern Buddhism, philosophical, Poetic Lyrics, Soulful, Spiritual, Spiritual Journey, timeless truth, urban storytelling, writing

• The Lantern and the Crystal

  

  “Embark on a mystical journey with ‘The Lantern and the Crystal.’ This folk ballad draws inspiration from a timeless parable. It explores themes of perception, reality, and the search for truth. This song weaves haunting melodies and poetic lyrics to explore the interplay of light, shadow, and inner awakening. Let the story of the traveler…

  William Altig

  November 18, 2024

  music

  acoustic, Acoustic Guitar, Ballad, Calm, Contemplative, Enlightenment, Folk, introspection, love, Meditative, Mystical, parable, Perception, philosophical, poem, poetry, reality, Reflective, Soulful, Spiritual, Storytelling, tarot, Timeless, wisdom, writing

• 🎶 The Illusion of Fire 🎶

  

  The Illusion of Fire is a captivating blend of Blues, Folk, and Hip-Hop. It delves deep into the juxtaposition between perceived chaos and underlying serenity. Inspired by the profound teachings of the Lotus Sūtra, this track explores themes of delusion and enlightenment. It also delves into the true essence of peace amidst apparent turmoil. The…

  William Altig

  November 11, 2024

  music

  acoustic, alternative, Blues, Calm, Conscious Lyrics, Contrast, Delusion, Emotional, Enlightenment, Flames, Folk, Genre Fusion, harmony, Hip-Hop, Illusion, Inner Peace, Inspirational, lyrics, Modern Spirituality, music, Musical Journey, peace, Perception, philosophical, poem, poetry, Reflective, serenity, Soulful, Spiritual Music, Spirituality, Storytelling, Thought-Provoking, Transformation, urban

• The Lotus Sutra’s Light

  

  “The Lotus Sutra’s Light” is a soul-stirring folk song. It delves into the profound wisdom of one of Buddhism’s most revered texts. This song features poetic lyrics. It unfolds with a memorable melody. The song explores themes of enlightenment, personal growth, and the transformative power of spiritual teachings. Drawing inspiration from the Lotus Sutra, it…

  William Altig

  September 29, 2024

  music

  acoustic, Buddha, Buddhism, Enlightenment, folk-music, Inspirational, lotus-sutra, mantra, Meditation, Mindfulness, philosophical, Philosophy, Religion, Singer-Songwriter, Spiritual, wisdom, world-music, zen